Advice new to med surg/organizing shift & what gear

NightOwlPsyRN · May 3, 2015

Pens - I personally like regular ballpoint pens. The other pens, not sure what they are called...(the fine tip ones?) tend to leak through my paperwork and smear if I accidentally rub my hand across the paper.

Workflow - Make a "brain", organize it by hour. Gives you a good breakdown of what your day will look like (e.g. vitals, med pass, wound care, position changes, charting, etc.). This will help with prioritization too.

Gear - I always had extra pens, a sharpie, a penlight, alcohol wipes, and gloves in my scrub top pockets (sometimes I would put some NS syringes too, if giving a lot of IV meds to flush). A stethoscope too if not provided for you.

Shoes - I wear my Nike Free's and I love 'em. Super light and comfortable. I have Danskos which are comfortable too...but since I work psych, I find them hard to run in (and super clunky because of the platform!) if there's a code, lol.

nynursey_ · May 3, 2015

1. Pens: I use a quad colored pen. I prefer to chart report in black, PMH in blue, alerts in red, and labs in green. It helps keep my report sheet organized as my eyes land on color more quickly than key words. I also carry a highlighter with me to highlight information I *need* to keep in the front of my head. BIC makes quad color pens in both medium and fine point. I also know Prestige and many other scrub brands make quad color pens. You can find them at any stationary store.

2. Organizing Workflow: That's going depend on both you and your facility. You have to figure out what system works best for you. I have seen nurses organize their day in half-hour increments with a brain sheet and they never once deviate from it. I, on the other hand, prefer to live in organized chaos and address issues as they come to me. Of course, there are some constants: bedside report, medication passes, assessments, etc. But the other flexible things are really stylistic and depend on both the acuity level of your patients, nurse-to-patient ratio, and time management.

3. Must-Have Gear: Comfortable, well-fitting scrubs. Great shoes. Extra pens (if you leave one lying around, believe me, someone may steal it). Highlighter and Sharpie. Pen-light if your facility doesn't supply disposables. Stethoscope. Pulse oximeter (I can't rely on always having a Dynamap available). Kelly clamps! So useful to anchor your roll of tape to your scrubs, clamp a Foley/chest tube, or hold lines to linens. Beyond that, you need snacks. You'd be surprised how difficult it is to run for 12-hours straight on limited carbs/sugar. Your body needs fuel! Oh, and copious amounts of coffee, always.

4. Shoes: I alternate between Dansko's and cross-trainer sneakers. I read once (forgive me for not having a source available) regarding the need to alternate your shoes so the insoles/insteps rebound to their original position and offer the right amount of support. Cross-trainers over running shoes due to foot alignment (cross-trainers apparently allow you to "side step" more comfortably and running shoes are designed to keep your feet facing straight forward). And I'd suggest compression hose! NaBee makes some killer patterned compression socks.

dawniepoo · May 3, 2015

I can honestly say my most used tool is my scissors. Some of those packages that the meds are in are so hard to get open!

dudette10, MSN, RN · May 3, 2015

Here's a gear suggestion that most people don't have. I started doing it after I made a med error where I gave a whole pill instead of half of one. A pill cutter. In a bedside scanning environment, you will have to violate at least one of the basics of med administration to cut a pill if you don't have a cutter with you.

Morainey, BSN, RN · May 4, 2015

I like the Z-grip pens. I basically like click pens because I can shove them in my pocket or clip them on my clipboard. I always bring a highlighter and dry erase marker as well, and a pair of Kelly clamps. I carry scissors also.